Chapter 3: Intra-Squad Match

The intra-squad match was a 6v6 game.

As Kai warmed up lightly on the futsal field, he scanned the faces of his teammates.

Aside from Emmanuel Frimpong, there were no familiar faces.

At this age, players with first-team potential had already been promoted or sent out on loan.

Kai considered his circumstances acceptable and pressed down on his ankle.

Having suffered an injury before, he moved it carefully.

His ankle rotated smoothly.

"Good."

It was a fresh sensation he hadn't felt in a long time.

He was eager to play.

As he adjusted to his rejuvenated body, Frimpong gathered the team.

A captain's armband was wrapped around his right arm.

It signified he was the leader of the Red Team.

"I wasn't planning to play, but the coach asked me to, so I hope you all listen to me."

"Oh! Got it!"

Frimpong had recently returned from a long-term injury, so he hadn't rejoined the first team yet.

He was using the reserves to regain match fitness.

Frimpong gave simple instructions.

"Let's stick to our positions. Matt and Sam in defense. Kai and I in midfield. Robert as the striker, leading the attack. No complaints?"

Everyone nodded.

Frimpong patted the youngest player, Kai, on the shoulder and smiled confidently.

"Kai, it's going to be a dynamic game, so instead of holding onto the ball for too long, just pass and move like we learned at the academy."

"Got it."

"When I watched you train earlier… yeah, just stay composed when receiving the ball."

"Should I pass to you when I get it?"

Frimpong grinned.

"Yeah. I'll handle everything."

"Alright."

Kai had no plans to stand out until he regained his touch.

If he played steadily and showed glimpses of brilliance, at least his evaluation wouldn't drop.

'But is this really okay?'

He had thought Frimpong was just an average player, but he was clearly beyond academy level.

Alongside his peer Jack Wilshere, Frimpong was one of the club's most promising prospects and had made an early first-team debut.

He had performed well in his debut season, earning recognition.

Kai knew how big the gap was between players who had debuted in the first team and those who hadn't.

There were no issues with Frimpong's performance.

They had probably played mini-games together before, but Kai had no recollection of them.

That was slightly concerning.

'Probably because I did everything myself back then.'

Back then, he had dominated games on his own, which meant he hadn't even noticed Frimpong's skills.

Kai remained relaxed.

A player bound for the first team should be more than capable of handling the reserves.

"Is everyone ready?"

As the coach looked at both teams, the captains nodded.

"We'll play 15-minute halves. The Red Team gets the kickoff."

At the sound of the whistle, Robert, a freckled boy, passed the ball backward.

As soon as Frimpong received it, the Blue Team players pounced like wolves.

Frimpong quickly switched the ball to a defender on the opposite side.

'Not a bad feeling.'

Just thinking about playing again after so long lifted his spirits.

Kai moved to position himself for a pass.

"…"

Matt, a blond defender, glanced at Kai but didn't pass to him, instead playing it back to the goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper sent it to the opposite defender, who then returned it to Frimpong.

As pressure mounted, Frimpong passed to Kai.

Tap, tap.

His first touch wasn't as clean as he wanted.

But it wasn't bad.

Simply kicking the ball with a healthy body felt satisfying.

Kai calmed himself.

'Just play it safe for now.'

Before the pressure intensified, he sent a forward pass to Robert.

Then he moved immediately.

Pass and move.

But Robert lost possession instantly.

Kai quickly dropped back into position.

"Kai! Watch the right side!"

At Frimpong's shout, Kai nodded and positioned himself accordingly.

Frimpong wasn't bad at organizing defensive lines.

By aligning with Frimpong, they closed the space.

An opponent clicked his tongue and recycled the ball.

Kai focused more on his teammates' positioning than the ball, constantly checking their movements.

'Stick to the basics. Just the basics.'

He extended his foot and intercepted a through ball.

As he turned with possession, Frimpong waved for the ball.

"Kai! Pass it!"

Kai smirked internally.

He saw passing lanes.

Sam, the defender, was advancing.

Robert was an option upfront.

Both were aggressive choices.

Passing to Frimpong was the safest, least risky option.

A back pass, essentially.

But that wasn't what the coach and staff expected from a prodigy.

If he showed nothing special, they might decide he had been promoted too soon and send him back to the U-18s.

'That can't happen.'

He needed to prove he could compete at the senior level.

It was time to reveal a glimpse of his talent.

As an opponent pressed in, Kai dribbled briefly before suddenly executing a La Croqueta to break through.

"!"

"What the hell!"

Everyone was stunned.

As they gawked, Kai passed to Sam, who was advancing down the flank.

Sam relayed it to Robert, who held it up before switching play.

Tap.

Frimpong controlled the ball cleanly and took a shot.

The ball soared into the sky.

It was a beautiful ascent.

Frimpong, looking sheepish, glanced at Kai before grinning and giving a thumbs-up.

Kai's expression stiffened slightly.

"The feel wasn't bad, but…"

The La Croqueta, also known as the Phantom Dribble, had worked because the opponent hadn't been prepared.

His touch was still shaky, and Kai wasn't satisfied with his play.

He was far from his peak.

"Damn it."

Frustration boiled inside him.

How could he struggle with something so basic?

It made sense, yet it didn't. The irritation was maddening.

"Kai! Pass it here!"

Kai swallowed his anger and passed to Frimpong again.

He focused on receiving the ball as much as possible and passing it cleanly to regain his rhythm.

His touch gradually improved.

As his passes became sharper and more precise, his teammates started receiving them more comfortably.

"Kai! Great pass!"

"Let's score one goal!"

Despite missing multiple chances, Frimpong remained undeterred.

Even though he slowed the tempo and squandered opportunities, the coaches didn't criticize him.

They understood—Frimpong shone when playing alongside a true playmaker.

Kai should have filled that role, but since he was playing conservatively, the game revolved around Frimpong instead.

"Five minutes left!"

At the coach's shout, Kai's lips quivered.

Since his injury, he had restrained himself and played cautiously.

But before that, Kai was different.

Off the field, he was quiet.

On the field, he was a raging bull.

If he couldn't win, he vented his anger across the pitch.

He would grab players by the collar for rough tackles and, if fouled badly, pretend to fall while stomping on them.

If provoked, he retaliated tenfold.

He never held back on trash talk.

Until now, he had suppressed that side of himself.

But as he grew comfortable in his younger body, his old instincts returned.

The unrestrained delinquent was coming back.

"Haa."

Kai struggled to suppress it and looked at the scoreboard.

Still 0-0.

Red Team had dominated possession, while Blue Team relied on counterattacks.

They had no answers when Kai and Frimpong shut them down in positional play.

The situation was frustrating, and Kai's patience wore thin.

"Damn it."

The Red Team's setup wasn't great.

Robert was a hold-up striker.

Sam moved like a wing-back but lacked fundamentals.

Matt was a disciplined center-back.

Frimpong? A liability.

No matter how well they set him up, he couldn't finish.

Kai was running out of patience.

"Kai! Hurry up and pass!"

Frimpong demanded the ball with confidence.

Kai couldn't hold back anymore.

Anger surged from the depths of his being.

Losing the ball while attacking was better than this.

This level of play was unacceptable.

Playing for fun? Fine.

But winning was fun.

A winnable game ending in a draw?

That wasn't satisfying.

Kai threw off his mask.

"Kai!"

He ignored Frimpong.

He ignored Sam's run down the wing.

Robert was just a standing tree.

He needed to release this frustration.

Otherwise, it might drive him insane.

"Hoo."

Kai tapped the ball forward.

The defender, already beaten once, hesitated.

His younger body surged with energy, and his competitiveness ignited.

Adrenaline flooded his veins.

"Kai! What are you doing?! Pass!"

"Shut up."

Kai snapped in japnese and dribbled forward, hugging the ball to his feet.

Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap.

His speed increased.

Despite his slightly clumsy touch, the opponent didn't dare press him recklessly.

Had they sensed the change?

Kai ignored them and pushed forward.

As he entered the attacking third, defenders closed in.

Kai feints to the outside with one foot, then swiftly shifts the ball inside with the other, slipping past his opponent.

"Crazy!"

Having beaten one player, Kai immediately faced another pressing defender and executed another La Croqueta to get past him.

This time, the Phantom Dribble was much cleaner than before.

"What the hell?!"

"Stop that bastard!"

Kai gritted his teeth.

He almost tripped after misjudging his stride length.

It was a problem that would fix itself with time, so he refocused on the game.

His opponents realized that a standard tackle wouldn't be enough to stop him, so they tried to muscle him off the ball.

Flinch!

kai, who had avoided physical battles due to multiple past injuries, instinctively tried to evade.

But he couldn't keep running forever.

More importantly, his current body was healthy.

There were no lingering injuries.

A part of him wanted to barge straight into the opponent and knock him down.

But Kai shook his head.

'I need to stay calm.'

There was a better option.

Lowering his center of gravity, he used his body to shield the ball.

Despite going up against a well-built opponent, he wasn't pushed back easily.

Even at 15, he was already 180 cm tall and physically stronger than most of his peers.

"Kai!"

The best option was Frimpong.

Honestly, Ki wanted to ignore him.

But annoyingly, Robert was marked, and Sam was stuck out wide.

Frimpong—despite wasting every chance—had timed his run perfectly.

Kai sighed and reluctantly decided to trust him one last time.

With a flick of his heel, he chipped the ball.

"!?"

The ball deflected off a defender's foot, perfectly redirecting it into Frimpong's path.

If it hadn't been deflected, the pass might have gone past him entirely.

Whether this lucky break would turn into a goal was now in Frimpong's hands.

"This time, score, damn it!"

Would he finally repay Kai's trust?

Frimpong aimed for the corner and shot.

But the angle was poor.

The goalkeeper quickly stretched out his leg and saved it.

"Ugh!"

Frimpong let out a cry of frustration.

But the game wasn't over.

In fact, Kai's faith in Frimpong had already disappeared the moment he took the shot.

He had been preparing to react.

Bursting forward like a beast, Kai got past the defenders and calmly tapped the rebound into the net with his left foot.

Swish!

"Waaaah!"

"Kai! Damn, you're incredible!"

"Are you finally warmed up?"

"That was awesome! Seriously, amazing!"

Before Kai could even process scoring a goal, his teammates mobbed him with cheers.

They ruffled his hair, smacked his back, and even lifted him up.

Though it was his first goal since regressing, he didn't feel particularly happy.

More precisely, he didn't attach much meaning to it.

He had just been pissed off by the sluggish game and wanted to end it.

Still, scoring after so long did ease some of his frustration.

"I always wondered why people called you a football prodigy, but now I get it!"

"For a second, I thought I was watching Messi!"

The man responsible for all of kai's irritation was now grinning like an idiot, playfully wrapping an arm around his neck.

Even as Kai tried to shake him off, Frimpong, seemingly thrilled, refused to let go.

The moment Kai saw his face again, anger flared up inside him.

'If not for this idiot…!'

If Frimpong had converted just two of the chances, Kai wouldn't have been so frustrated.

But seeing his teammates genuinely celebrating with him eased some of his irritation.

In his past life, he had been distant from his teammates, rarely interacting with them.

Having them congratulate him felt unexpectedly nice.

"All thanks to me! If not for me,Kai wouldn't have scored! Right, Kai?"

"…"

Frimpong's sluggish play and missed chances had pushed kai's patience to its limits.

His long-buried temper was about to explode.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Frimpong asked innocently.

Kai let out a deep sigh.

He forced himself to suppress his anger.

Now wasn't the time to lash out.

With an effort, he put on a forced smile and pushed down the rising irritation.

"It's nothing."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Hey, kai."

"What?"

"Wanna come over to my place after training for a game?"

Kai maintained his business smile and politely declined.

"Sorry. My parents are waiting for me, so I need to head home. Maybe next time."

His textbook response made Frimpong's eyes glint mischievously.

"Hehehe. Could it be… kai, are you a mama's boy?"

"…Do you have a death wish?"

Kai's effort to suppress his temper crumbled in an instant.